Cliff Dive
by Derrian
Summary: Allen learns something new about Kanda in an Akuma fight. Now the question is, should he kill Kanda or Lavi first?


**Title: **Cliff Dive  
**Chapter: **1  
**Story Notes: **One shot. I have a couple D. Gray Man stories in my brain. And this one was fun to write, maybe I'll do another :)

* * *

The battle wasn't difficult per-say... But the sheer number of levels two they had found just outside a cliff side town was overwhelming when the Akuma teamed together and attacked the three exorcists. Each young man focused on a handful at a time and stayed out of each other's way unless the situations forced interference.

The heat from Lavi hammer stamp washed over Allen's back in an intense wave. Glancing over his shoulder he found the red head smiling, quite pleased with his handy work and the 'now' Akuma free area circling him. The weapon shrunk to a more normal size but remained out and ready for the next enemy to be faced

A clean shot to the last level two directly in front of him and Allen also cleared out the ones he had rounded up to take on himself. His cursed arm transform from gun to an appendage and he swung around to located the last of their party.

Not that Kanda was ever hard to pick out in a crowd. Whether it was his sharp tongue, or even sharper sword. The Japanese man appeared more battle wounded that either himself or Bookman Jr, but that was just his normal battle strategy. His abnormal healing ability allowing him to be more reckless and take greater risks when fatal wounds and the Akuma virus have little to no effect on him.

Not that any of the people close to him enjoyed watching him make sacrifices that could kill a lesser man.

The three remaining levels two's surrounded the swordsman, not yet noticing that their other comrades had been neatly disposed of. At the level of synchronous that each exorcist possessed with their innocence, the battle was over at that point.

"Need some help over there Yu? I figured you'd be the first one done."

A well maintained blade flashed in Lavi's direction. "Don't fucking call me that!" The long haired man neatly jumped over the elastic like arms of the enemy off to his left before cleaving another Akuma from leg to head. Allen's eye watched the newly freed soul leaving the monstrous body it had been chained to.

"Just because half of the bastards decided neither of you two idiots were suitable challenges." Deep blue eyes dared his companions to deny what they all knew to be the truth. When the ambush accrued, Kanda had been keeping distance from the annoying chatter and therefore was left with the wall of Akumas set to separate the exorcists and block their escape path.

That left them with a cliff edge and a fall to a watery grave, or fighting their way back through the horde.

"Fine then Yu! Have them all to yourself. I'll just hang back here and take a nap!"

"Lavi!" Allen had his moments with Kanda as well. But typically they were outside of the battlefield and on safer ground. The red head shrugged, tipping his weapon's head over his shoulder, but making no move to help their comrade in his battle.

Ignoring the senseless exchange, the white haired exorcist drew the second Akuma off Kanda, so the taller man could concentrate on the one giving him the most trouble. Long arms having the ability to stretch and twist a little like Allen's own Akuma weapon could when in it's first form. Though the extent of the Level two's own reach was much greater, acting like rubber bands as they chased after the Japanese man who was nimbly dodging.

Given his innocence's form, though, Kanda typically needed to be in closer combat in order to deal the final blow. Even his Netherworld insects were batted aside easily by the metal like armor encasing the Akuma's arms. Allen could almost hear the other man growling as he had to make the desicion of getting in close to the main body of the Akuma, or dodge an arm as is swung a full circle around his position, creating a wall.

The surprised gasp then grunt of pain reaching Allen's ears almost had him miss his own killing blow. Once the large body of his enemy faded to nothingness he located the remaining Akuma who clamped its large hand around Kanda's body, from where he had been knocked into a heap and faltered to get back on two feet.

"Kanda!"

"Yu!"

Swiftly moving forward to aid the third person on their team, Allen's gray eyes widen as the Akuma swung his prey violently before spanning its arm over the deep gorge they were next to. As the Level two laughed with delight, Allen witness something he never thought he would see. And after seeing it.. It was something he was not sure he could ever 'unsee'.

Fear... a flash of undeniable fear in the dark depth's of Kanda Yu's eyes from where he was dangled over open air.

Yelling a battle cry Allen neatly blocked the remaining arm of the Akuma. It was the very same moment the metal hand released its prey to gravity with a sing-singed, "Bye bye." The tips of dark blue hair was the last thing either Exorcist saw as Kanda's form disappeared from sight.

"Damnit!" His arm took on its gun form and successfully pinned one arm to the ground with its energy spikes. The Level two whirled around to face the next brat just waiting in line to end his life. Still laughing at the accomplishment it had achieved as it dug into its newest prey with renewed confidence.

The flash of red off the his left, would be Lavi, since there was no other enemies in the area. "Allen, jump!"

"Huh?!" Blocking an attack from above, Allen was stunned to silence as Lavi ran, full bore, past his struggle, to leap off the cliff's face. Leaving him alone with the Akuma.

One enemy left, one soul to free...

A frustrated cry left his mouth as Allen threw the Akuma off balance so he could follow Lavi, trusting the other was not going to get him killed. They couldn't all survive a fall to their deaths after all. But the desperate order and fleeing of a battle was also not something the Bookman Jr was known for. It had to be something else, Allen would just have to trust Lavi.

And, slightly regretting it now, he did completely.

The remaining Akuma was left to live another day as Allen, too, jumped off the edge of the world they stood on. 

* * *

Much to Allen's relief, Lavi at least thought a little before he jumped off the cliff. The innocence hammer's head was extended down, down as far as could be seen and rested in the fast moving waters a, stomach churning, distance below them.

The red head grabbed the back of Allen's jacket as he fell past, matching his own downward speed, via hammer, to not lose fingers as he brought the white haired boy's fall to an abrupt halt. The material of the exorcist jacket stretched painfully but held as its construction showed it was up for anything they could throw at it.

Allen's vision swam when his only view was past his feet and down much, much farther then he ever wished to test his bodies resilience against. Gray eyes squeezed shut until they were safely pointed back upwards and to the stupid one who thought this was a good idea.

"What the hell Lavi! We can't come back from the dead like Kanda can!"

The hammer's handle swung and tilted them downstream. Covering a vast amount of distance by a simple angle. His protest was ignore by the other, who stood, well practiced with one hand and foot on the shaft. Emerald eyes scanning the water's surface far below them. Looking for something.

"Allen?" The hand holding on to him began to swing back and forth, causing his whole body to pendulum unnervingly.

"L-Lavi..."

"I'm going to throw you..."

"Lavi!?" The red head's arm still holding on to the hammer wrapped fully around it, gaining a better anchor point for Lavi to arc his comrade in the air.

"... as close to Kanda as possible."

One cursed arm and one not, waved in mid air, frantically protesting the plan that was being laid out before him. Not that he had a choice it seemed. The Bookman was crazy if he thought Allen was just going to let this happen without a fight. He was perfectly happy riding the hammer express down to the surface of the rapids. Better yet, it could just bring them to a safer place, like a ledge or a rock sticking out of the water for pete's sake! He didn't need to go into the white tipped waters below, and he 'certainly' did not need to be anywhere near Kanda, who would be pissed beyond belief that a Level two Akuma got the better of him!

Allen's voice rose an octave in a final, long drawn out protest, as his dangling body reach the highest point of its arc and Lavi's fingers released the exorcist jacket. White hair was pushed off his face from the wind his travel created. The rushing sounds pushing away the final words shouted to him by the other.

The distance Allen traveled before crashing into the river's surface was still too much. The feeling of being slammed into a brick wall would have probably been more preferred. Not to mentioned the icy cold that took his breath straight out of his lungs whether he had a use for it or not. Arms shot out to his sides in an attempt to keep him as close to the surface as possible. Then propelled his body back towards the light, taking a hungry gulp of air as soon as he broke the water's elasticity.

The flow of the river swiftly tumbled him into another body. A hand gripped his shoulder, momentarily forcing his head back under the water. Another, painfully, latched around Allen's arm as soon as he kicked himself into a more stable treading position. Panic quickly began to set in as he found himself fighting to keep, both, himself above water, and the flailing swordsman that he had practically landed on top of.

The desperate noises coming from the other's, normally, foul mouth was the first indication that something was wrong. Kanda could barely stand eating at the same table as Allen, now he was basically glued to the smaller man and pushing them both under with his water soaked weight and jerky movements.

Allen coughed harshly to clear out the water that took up residence in his lungs. "Kand-" A dip in the rapids again had him eating liquid. The muscular arms around him tighened and pushed, forcing Allen down and Kanda up.

Suddenly the unlikely fear in Kanda's eyes, the unexpected fleeing of battle, and the last, wind torn, yelled from Lavi pieced together to jar sense to the situation.

Kanda couldn't swim.

And Lavi knew this.

Allen's mind debated for a split second who he was going to yell at first once they were back on solid ground. Lavi, for making him jump AND throwing him. Or Kanda, for not learning such a basic skill.

Changing his water logged tactics, Allen wrapped an arm tightly around the struggling man's waist and kicked his legs so they were turned feet first, flowing with the water instead of fighting against it. "Kanda!" He trapped one arm to the other man's side, alarmed slightly that Mugen was still unsheathed when so close to both their bodies. It was a marvel that it had not been lost, but as important as the innocence was in general, and that particular one to Kanda, he should not have been too surprised.

"Quit struggling so I can try and keep us above water!" The water washed away half of what he said, but the Japanese's movements went ramrod still. Fighting what little survival instinct he might actually possess. Death by drowning sounded bad enough on its own, then to be able to come back alive and possibly be too far under the water to find air again. The endless cycle was a terrifying thought. Not too mention Kanda's failed attempts to stay above the water, coupled with the injuries he had taken during their battle had exhausted him more then he would admit.

The Asian exorcist forced his body still, fighting the subconscious need to keep all people at a greater then arm's length. Trusting that the beanspout would accomplish what he said he would, or else they'd both be in trouble. Like hell Kanda was going to let the little asshat go when he was the only thing keeping them from sinking to the river floor.

What he could not understand was how the simple act of floating without flailing limbs was keeping them on the surface better then his sorry excuse for swimming had been. There was far less movement and yet they were not dying.

"Allen!" Gray eyes turned upwards just in time to see Lavi falling feet first into the water several yards ahead of them. The stark contrast of red to blue was easy to find and keep in sight while he steered their forward movement towards the red head.

Fighting to keep his hammer in front of his body as the rapids pushed and pulled him. Lavi held it horizontal before yelling "Little hammer, big hammer, grow grow grow!" The ends ballooned in size at an alarming rate. Slamming into the rock walls on either side of the fast moving river. And with Lavi upstream from it, it made a perfect safety net from being swept any further down stream.

It was not long before Allen also ran into the hammer, and with him, Yu. Both were panting from their brush with a watery grave. The swordsman had strategically been angled to land between the two who could actually swim. Each automatically placing an arm to their comrade to best steady him. The long haired man's head remain bowed over the hammer's handle as he coughed a fit to clear his lungs, unable to catch his breath until the foreign fluid was expelled.

"You okay Yu?" The water continued to pound against Lavi's back. They would be okay for the moment but would have to figure out what their next move soon. Green eyes were, at that point, more concerned about the one struggling to breath next to him.

"Can you really not swim?"

Dark eyes narrowed a glared to Allen, being less effective since Kanda resembled a half drowned rat. "Fuc-" Cough... "Fuck off, beansprout."

"I'll take that as a 'yes'." The sarcasm in Allen's voice, however, did not reach his eyes, instead mimicking the worry for their third. He let go of any comeback that might have been balanced on the tip of his tongue. Observing their surroundings with a watchful eye. The ravine they were currently stuck in went on for as far as his eye could see. Walled in by almost vertical stone barriers on either side. From there they had to contend with several boulders sticking up out of the water. It was amazing that none of them had hit a rock yet.

Then there was something else to worry about.

"Um guys, I don't want to be the one to bring bad news..." A large object crashed into the water not far from them. Jarring the hammer with a violent vibration. "But I think our Akuma friend followed us..."

Lavi shaded his eyes from the sun to try and find what Allen had mentioned. Sure enough, barely visible for what it was, but there was no way to mistake that which could stretch halfway across the ravine to strategically drop boulders in their general direction. Another large stone fell in the space just behind them, forcing a tall wave to capsize over their heads.

Talk about being stuck between a rock and a hard place, Lavi thought. "I'm going to have to shrink my hammer." Detail oriented eyes did not miss the white knuckled hold Kanda tightened even further on that particular hammer. "We won't be able get out of here without it. Unless we plan on riding the waves to the end."

"I'd rather not." Kanda matter-o-factly whispered.

The corner of Lavi's mouth rose slightly. "Well... a plan then." He looked around for anything that might help them in their plight. The third drop from the Akuma had Allen pressing them all over to one side to avoid being struck. The small end of the hammer skidded down the rocks it was pressed into. A momentary lose of his hand hold on the shaft had Kanda's face losing color it could not afford to. He scrambled to regain his hold and ended up almost face planting into the water so he could lean more securely over it.

"Usagi...!"

"Working on it Yu!" A water obstacle below and an Akuma obstacle above. Which was the lesser of two evils. Lavi tore his water logged scarf off his head and down around his neck, it only served to obstruct his view at that point anyway. What he wouldn't give for some kind of float, if even just for a little bit. But their time was up, the Akuma had zeroed in on their position with its rock bombs. If they did not want to get sent straight to the bottom of the river bed they had to move 'now'.

"Hold on to me Yu!" Lavi missed the horrified look slanted eyes shot in his direction. But as soon as the hammer detached from the parallel walls, Kanda grabbed the coat of the person creating another life threatening issue for him.

It was all for a purpose, the hammer was swung above their heads to smash the boulder out of the path it was taking towards them. Lavi ignored the shock of cold water sealing over his head at his lose of a solid anchor above water and aimed the head of his hammer down, making it grow long enough to find a solid bottom. He could feel Yu's death grip still as the hammer brought them fully out of the river rapids. A quick look found Allen hanging on to the hammer's handle just a little lower then them as it shot the trio into the sky.

Lavi tilted them to the opposite side of the river they started on. Moving faster then the level two could hurl projectiles their way. Having about enough of this adventure, Allen's gun spikes made quick work to filled the Akuma's body from toe to head. All before their feet once again found solid ground.

All three sprawled in a heap, cold and exhausted. Luckily the sun was still high in the sky. It beat its wonderful rays of heat down to their weary bodies. Any other obstacles that wanted to endanger their lives would just have to wait its turn until they felt up to moving again. Time passed with out anyone caring. Allen would warn them if anymore Akuma decided to make an appearance.

"Yu..."

Kanda jerked slightly, pulled from the edge of slumber by Lavi's start.

"You ARE learning to swim as soon as we get back..."

"Tch..." He rolled away from the annoyance. He'd put up more of a fight over the topic later...


End file.
